"The closures represent some painful and unintended consequences of the state's ambitious rollout of transitional kindergarten or TK - a signature education program of Gov. Gavin Newsom that provides universal public preschool to every 4-year-old, researchers found. The loss of community preschools has meant that some families of children younger than 4 have had to scramble to find other daycare in an already delicate network."
"At least in some cases, rather than bolstering California's child-care sector and serving more children, TK instead appears to be competing with - and even replacing - local preschools, as they struggle to take in younger children, according to the study. Areas that experienced the largest growth in TK enrollment were also the most likely to suffer preschool closures."
"In 2019, before the pandemic, there were about 26,500 children enrolled in TK in public schools in the county. Since then, with the help of the state TK expansion, the program grew to about 39,500 children by the 2024-25 school year, according to state data."
During the first four years of California's transitional kindergarten expansion, 167 community-based preschools in Los Angeles County closed after enrollment drops or inability to pivot to costlier infant and toddler care. The closures eliminated roughly 12,000 child-care slots for 3- and 4-year-olds and forced some families with children younger than 4 to seek alternative daycare in an already delicate network. TK enrollment grew from about 26,500 in 2019 to about 39,500 by 2024-25, an increase of roughly 13,000 students. Areas with the largest TK growth experienced the most preschool closures, and closures rose compared with 2014–2019.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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